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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rest — a break
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rest — what's left
  13. clip — a video
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fork — in a road
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com